


In From the Cold

by Noble_Nook



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bonding, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Friendship, Platonic hot cocoa drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21932164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noble_Nook/pseuds/Noble_Nook
Summary: Thanks to delayed flights and seasonal illness, Marinette looks to be spending the holiday alone until she hears a mysterious noise come from up on her rooftop. She quickly discovers who else but a snowy, stray Chat on her balcony on this cold Christmas Eve night.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, marichat - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 119





	In From the Cold

Marinette stood, foot tapping lightly on the cold kitchen floor as she finished adjusting her robe and folded her arms. She stared a bit aimlessly at her oven as it hummed away with the flickering flame inside illuminating her perfectly organized sheet of cookie dough clumps. This was the most she could think to do in her current situation, for better or worse.

To say this Christmas Eve had been quiet would be a bit of an understatement. No schoolwork to do, no bakery to run thanks to a family vacation, not even any sort of Akuma made an appearance this evening. The silent night was nice, for sure, but after a few years spending the holidays surrounded by some form of busy work, it was a bit..._odd_.

It certainly wasn’t how she was expecting to spend her first Christmas alone, anyway. A seasonal cold had kept her from tagging along on a trip to see family and friends in Shanghai, and a lack of staff meant the bakery would be closed until after the holidays. So here she was, alone in her dimly lit house with little else to do than bake a few sheets of cookies while snow and wind whipped at the walls.

She wasn’t necessarily going to complain about her situation, though. After all, there were probably worse ways to spend the holidays than filling your home with the scent of various kinds of fresh cookies. It was more that something just felt amiss after the last few years of noise, that it almost felt wrong to have a quiet night entirely to herself after so long.

With her family some five thousand miles away, however, there weren’t exactly a lot of options otherwise. She definitely wasn’t about to hope for an Akuma attack, and ruling that out left her with little else beyond seeing if anyone had a spare stocking on the wall. 

Even if she did such a thing, would it be rude? Alya always said that she’d have a spot with her family if she wanted or needed it, and Nino had expressed similar sentiments. The idea of going to Adrien’s and spending not only Christmas Eve with him, but Christmas day too, was nice even if it wasn’t exactly realistic.

Somewhat mindlessly, she started pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. There was next to no chance that she’d end up at Adrien’s, but that didn’t stop her thumb from hovering over his number for a few extra seconds. She didn’t quite consider herself close enough to Nino to risk barging in on his family’s Christmas, so she moved back up towards Alya.

Maybe she should just be content with her quiet night. That’s what caused some further hesitation as she stared down at the pixelated image of her best friend. Her parents had even left her gifts under the tree already, so she could spend the next day unwrapping whatever she’d gotten and watching cheesy Christmas movies.

Marinette tilted her head to the side and hummed in further thought. Something about opening gifts alone seemed hollow, even if she was given the okay to do so. Much like the night at hand, the idea didn’t feel quite right. So her attention went back to her phone and her thumb soon tapped on Alya’s contact.

Swallowing whatever nerves came with trying to form a last minute text message, Marinette typed away on her phone. She explained her situation and tried to frame things in the most positive light she could. A brief hum followed as she read over her words again and, dissatisfied with the outcome, she started to erase it and started again.

This time, she worded things somewhat better. It was certainly important to note that the worst of her cold had passed, as was mentioning that this was a one time thing. She certainly hoped it would be, at least. A new and somewhat improved message flowed from her fingertips and onto the screen.

Then, she hesitated, again. This was a much more difficult task than she would have imagined. Tapping the backspace button, the letters disappeared as she took a deep inhale and readied herself to try again. Rather than dumping the entire situation in one message, she figured an icebreaker of sorts would help.

“_Hey, girl! Hope you’re staying warm tonight!_” Her fingers wrote, briefly wondering if the exclamation points weren’t a bit overkill. “_I have a question I need to ask if you’re not too busy or anything. It’s fine if you are, though! No worries <3_”

She exhaled and pressed send. A few seconds passed before it actually sent, but with that she set her phone down on the counter behind her and leaned back. It wasn’t like she was against spending the holidays with her best friend or anything, quite the opposite in fact. It was more that she was still apprehensive about possibly dropping in like this, but maybe-

Marinette’s thought train suddenly came to a halt as the loud noise of something crashing erupted somewhere nearby. Her eyes rolled around some in an attempt to trace the noise as she moved quickly through her kitchen. She glanced out the nearest window to assess the situation.

Nothing seemed amiss from what she could see, everything seemed to be in order. Snow was still pounding down and the wind was still whipping. A few cars passed by and there even seemed to be a set of carolers on the sidewalk. 

She stared out for a bit longer to see if perhaps it was something hidden. There’d been more than a few stealthy Akuma, after all. Nothing changed, however, and with no one outside reacting to anything whatsoever, that left her with only one other idea.

_It came from her roof._

Quickly, she turned the dial on her oven down and made for the staircase. A mental checklist flew through her mind as she tried to figure out what she might have felt outside. Her sun chair had been indoors since winter started, as were her potted plants. She didn’t think it was windy enough for her tea table to have blown away, so she couldn’t be sure.

Still, she was pretty certain that’s where the noise came from, and continued trying to figure out what it could have been on her way through her bedroom. Aside from something blowing over from another house, nothing seemed to fit the bill. She let out a hum while climbing over her bed and moving up her ladder before briefly stopping just before reaching the trapdoor.

Marinette cocked an eyebrow at the sound of further clattering on her balcony and cautiously peeked through the hatch. Slowly, her eyes roamed the area from one side until she spotted the culprit. Or at least, roughly half of the culprit, considering the other half was covered in the slight mound of snow that had accumulated throughout the day.

“_Chat Noir?_” She questioned aloud, staring at the bottom half of a leather-clad figure with a belt tail she found herself hoping actually was her costumed partner. 

Said belt tail twitched as the person shifted around and attempted to dig themselves out of the snow. With one sudden push, the pile disappeared and in its place stood a snowy Chat Noir. 

“Guess I missed the chimney.” He said, dusting the powder off. Marinette did not have a chimney. 

The wind calmed around them for the time being as a slight silence befell the balcony. He merely stood brushing himself off, while she popped her head further out the hatch and continued trying to process what was going on.

“You, uh,” Marinette cleared her throat and stepped onto the balcony. “You okay?”

“Oh, yeah, yep!” Chat smiled widely. He even gave her a thumbs up for good measure, the ears on his head flicking some remaining snow off. 

“You sure? It sounded like you fell.” She flatly stated. Admittedly, it was hard to know how to react to a situation like this. It was almost surprising that it hadn’t happened before.

“Uh, well…I kinda did.” He leaned down to collect his baton, something he might have done to hide some sort of embarrassment. “Guess Santa _Paws_ hit an ice patch or something and just sorta slipped, it is pretty hard to see right now, y’know?”

“Right.” Marinette flatly replied as she nodded along slowly. “Speaking of, can I ask...why you’re out? Is there an Akuma around?”

“No.” Chat replied. “Er, not that I know of. Not yet. That’s actually why I was out! I was doing a patrol around the city to see if any supervillains were around.”

Marinette’s eyebrow raised. 

“All alone in the middle of the night?” 

He stammered for a moment, obviously a bit flustered. The fall must have done more damage to his pride than anything else, she figured.

“Well, yeah.” Chat answered, flashing a few teeth behind an exaggerated grin. “You never know when or where they might crop up, after all. Better safe than sorry!”

Marnette didn’t know what to say. It’s not that he was necessarily wrong, and they had been doing the occasional patrol over the last few months, but they usually did them together. Or rather, he would patrol with Ladybug. So his running around the city alone definitely seemed odd.

“And Ladybug’s...home sick?” She stifled a slight chuckle at how clever she felt. All things considered, she’d know if he was telling the truth here or not, even if she couldn’t exactly out him if he wasn’t.

Her question seemed to cause him to freeze up somewhat, though, an unexpected reaction. There was some low mumbling she didn’t quite hear and a few gestures of his hands, but he didn’t manage to give a straight answer after what felt like a good minute or so. She knew him well enough to know something was definitely off.

“Hey,” Marinette took the few steps needed to close the gap between them. Her hand cautiously reached for his shoulder and stopped his muttering. “Is everything okay?”

Chat chewed the inside of his mouth for a moment. His eyes avoided hers, instead focusing on the ground while he attempted to formulate a reply.

“I, uh...don’t wanna get too heavy on you or anything.” He said. 

She _was_ just a civilian, after all. 

“It’s okay.” Marinette replied. Hard to shut those Ladybug instincts down with her snow-covered partner taking up residency on her balcony while clearly in some form of distress. Still, she had to make sure she wasn’t coming across as too eager. “I mean, I’m not gonna pry or anything, but I don’t mind listening.”

Chat mulled it over for a bit. Sure, he knew who Marinette was and trusted her almost as much as he did Ladybug, but Chat Noir didn’t. At least, not after the scant few interactions they’d had over the years. Maybe it’d be easier without the leather, though that wasn’t much of an option.

Still, the offer of an otherwise friendly ear was extremely tempting at the moment. Especially after plummeting however many feet through the Parisian sky. 

“Without getting into the details,” He started after an inhale. “Christmas has been...kind of a rough time for me over the last few years. There’s been some good ones and everything, but sometimes it just...gets to me.” 

Marinette nodded, adjusting her robe some. The wind started whipping up again, sending flakes of snow flying all around them as she realized just how cold it was. 

“Er, hey, not to make this any weirder,” She spoke up, wishing she opted for the sweater over the t-shirt she picked. “But it’s pretty cold up here, so...would you mind if we take this inside?”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Chat replied a bit quicker than he might have intended. The super suit offered him some protection from the elements, but even he noticed just how cold it had gotten. He tapped the metal toes of his boots on the floor and then perked up with a question of his own. “Should I go down the hatch, or?”

“Eh,” Marinette gave a slight shrug, eyeing him over. She glanced at the snow caked onto his shoes, likely why he asked in the first place. “I needed to wash my bed stuff soon anyway, so I don’t mind.”

With that, she stepped back and climbed down the ladder with Chat following cautiously behind. Halfway down the ladder, he reached up and nudged the hatch so that it fell shut before hesitantly pressing his boots to her mattress. Marinette snickered some at that while she walked down the steps and waited by her bedroom door.

Chat opted to hop from her bed to the floor, striking an unnecessarily stylish pose as he glanced over at the wall full of posters and pictures of a certain blonde model. He then shot her a smirk from his crouched position and she gave him a light laugh before nodding out the door, a silent instruction for him to follow her through the house. He tapped the tips of his toes on a nearby towel on the floor to try and track as little snow as possible.

Marinette acted as a guide as they made their way through a house he found himself quite familiar with by now. It wasn’t much of a journey as the destination she was leading them to, her kitchen, was just another staircase or so away. He walked through the living room to join her and couldn’t help but smile at how unchanged it was from the last time he’d been here.

“Peanut butter?” He asked after taking a whiff of the oven.

“Yep.” Marinette replied, twisting a dial and opening the door. “Been making cookies all day and that was the last kind I had left. They should be just about done actually.”

“I can get that, if you want.” Chat chimed in, leaning over next to her. Marinette gestured at the appliance and let him go.

He stepped in front of the dimly glowing, and deliciously smelling, chamber and eased a hand inside. Heat radiated off and ran along his face while he swiftly pulled the pan out. Dropping it on the top, Chat flapped his hand around some and blew on it a few times. 

“You alright?” Marinette lightly giggled.

“Oh, yeah,” Chat nodded, giving a laugh of his own. “Just...kinda thought it’d be colder.” 

Marinette shook her head some and nudged a few cookies that ended up on top of each other after his sudden movements apart. To be entirely fair, she still wasn’t sure what the limit of protection the suits offered was, so this was something of a learning experience for the both of them.

“Alright, well, let’s let those cool for a bit.” She said, moving to her cabinets. “Care for a cup of cocoa?” 

He hesitated again, eyes wandering out the window. Marinette could see conflict on his face, even if she wasn’t sure what it was.

“Yeah.” Chat eventually answered. “I’d like that.” 

She gave him a shake of her head and retrieved two cups and a large bowl from her cupboard. Then she pulled out some cocoa mix while he took the liberty of getting the milk and whipped cream from her fridge. He poured the milk while she tore open the packets and dumped them in. She used a little extra, just in case either of them wanted more later. A few stirs of a spoon later and the mixture was in the microwave.

“So.” Marinette leaned against her counter. “Still got something on your mind, huh?”

“Oh, uh,” Chat stuttered for a moment as he took a seat at her table. “I guess so, yeah.”

“I’m not gonna push or anything,” Marinette decided to explain her position on the matter, keeping a smile to try and help him be more comfortable. “But I know having someone to talk to can help sometimes, even if they don’t know what to say, and you’ve been around here often enough that I don’t mind.”

“I have, haven’t I?” Chat gave her a smile of his own. It only really just sunk in how frequently he ended up at her house, specifically in the leather. “Can I ask you something first, though?”

“Sure.” She openly agreed. 

“Are we...friends, Marinette?”

His question caused a brief silence. A near tension, even, as Marinette thought on it. She didn’t have to ponder the answer all that much, of course they were friends, but it could be a bit difficult to explain why she felt so strongly if he asked. So she tempered herself and gave a direct, if somewhat passive answer.

“I think so, yeah.” Marinette replied as the microwave hummed behind her. “I consider you one, at least.”

Chat smiled at that. 

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat and shot her a wink. “Back at’cha.” 

“Anyway.” Marinette chuckled, popping the door open with a second left on the clock. She fixed their drinks, complete with spraying the whipped cream he left on the counter, as she waited for his next words.

“_Anyway_,” Chat picked up. “I guess it’s just kinda hard to explain.”

“Take your time, kitty.” She passed him a drink and briefly froze up after realizing what she’d called him. Not that he seemed to notice.

“Well,” He took a sip and then stared down at the cup. “A few years ago, I...lost someone close to me, and they loved Christmas. They loved most holidays, actually”

“Mhm.” Marinette hummed to assure him she was listening. 

“And it’s hard not to think of them sometimes, especially during this time of year.” Chat continued. “Plus, I’m kinda living on my own this year, so it’s just me, y’know?”

“I understand.” She gave him a nod, even if he wasn’t looking.

“But, yeah,” Chat exhaled a breath and decided to be honest. His green gaze met hers again for the first time since she handed him his drink. “Sometimes I just have to...get out, try to clear my head or distract myself, and that’s what I was doing. I...didn’t want to be alone.”

“Oh.” Was what Marinette muttered. Her heart seemed to sink in her chest some, and suddenly it all made sense. “I’m...sorry to hear that, Chat.”

“Yeah…” He mumbled, thumbs tapping the side of his cup before he sat it down on the table behind him. Before another second passed, he stood up and started to turn towards the staircase. “Sorry, I should...I should go.”

“Wait,” Marinette called out. She couldn’t let him leave like that, like this. ”Wait, hold on.”

“No, it’s okay.” Chat gave her a slight wave without even looking at her. “Happy holidays, Marinette.”

“Wait.” Marinette said again. She didn’t even notice she’d dashed through the kitchen and grabbed the cuff around his wrist until she looked up. It must have been something of an instinct at this point, a reflex. “I-I mean, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“Uh,” Chat blinked for a moment, stammering behind his barely parted lips. From the looks of it, neither of them expected her to grab his arm the way she did. “No, really, it’s okay. Thanks for listening to me and everything, but I don’t wanna ruin your family’s Christmas or anything.

“My parents are on vacation, actually. That’s why the bakery isn’t open” Marinette replied, chuckling some as she stepped up closer to him. “Did you think I was inviting you in for a meal with my family again?”

“No, I just...hadn’t noticed. You did say you've been baking all day, so-” Chat stopped himself for a moment to check his mental calendar. “Wait. It is Christmas Eve, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” Marinette nodded, sitting her cup of cocoa down on the table next to his. “Their flight got delayed a few days because of the storm, I guess, so now instead of making it back tonight they’ll be getting here sometime on Friday.”

“Ah.” Chat swallowed and shook his head some.

“So I guess I’m...kind of alone this Christmas, too.” She added. “And I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to stick around for the night. It’d be nice having an extra set of claws when it comes time to open presents tomorrow, too.”

“That, um,” He paused, glancing around the room. He really hadn’t noticed how quiet it was until now. His hesitation gradually started to fade, along with the remnants of the conflict on his face. While he didn’t want to be invasive, it was hard to turn down an offer that came with as much warmth as the one she was offering. 

They _were _friends, after all.

“That’d be nice.” Chat eventually smiled.

“I certainly hope so.” Marinette gave him a smirk of her own. More than that, she then wrapped her other arm around his form and embraced him in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Marinette.” Chat said after processing what was happening. His own arms curled around her shoulders and snuggled her to his body, a gentle purr emanating from his chest.


End file.
